Adjustable spring booster



Oct. 6, 1964 L. JOSEPH 3,151,855

ADJUSTABLE SPRING BOOSTER Filed Jan.. 15, 1962 INVENTOR. LUZ/I5 J 0 SE PH AEEN 7' United States Patent 3,151,855 ADJUSTABLE SPRING BOOSTER Louis Joseph, Brooklyn, N.Y. Sturdy Products, 130 New York Ave, Jersey City 7, NJ.) Filed Jan. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 166,252 2 Claims. (Cl. 267-60) This invention relates to a spring booster and more particularly to an adjustable separating block that may be inserted between the coils of a spring to assist the coil spring in providing its original spacing or formation.

With the use of coil springs in the support of an automobile on its running gear and particularly in the front end suspension, there is a tendency for the coil springs to lose their original set and as the spring tends to close, reducing the distance between coils due to the continuous loading on the spring, the spring does not provide the proper riding action originally intended. Instead of replacing the springs there is a temporary means of restoring the spring to its original formation. This is a type of separating block that may be inserted between coils to their proper formation. It is apparent that the so-called booster blocks must have certain characteristics to make them efiicient in use. They are commonly formed of a solid rubber thus providing a good gripping action and some resiliency to the action of the coils. However, the rubber blocks, although resilient, tend to deform under a continuous load, it being a property of the rubber to extrude into a different formation under load rather than to be compressed, and thus the coils again lose their original setting. Another type of booster block used is a solid metal block. This type of block does provide a proper separation of the coils when it is mounted between coils, but since the metal has no resiliency the block tends to slip and will not work with the coils during normal working of the spring. An extreme loading of the coil and a rebound can provide enough clearance between coils to allow the solid metal block to slip out of its mounted position.

it is an object of this invention to provide a booster separating block for coil springs that may be adjusted to retain the coils a predetermined distance apart and still provide a certain amount of resiliency.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combination metal and rubber booster separating block for coil springs that may be adjusted to retain the coils a predetermined distance apart and still provide a certain amount of resiliency.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a booster separating block comprised of a pair of metal coil gripping elements with resilient gripping portions and an adjustable means between the metal elements to retain the coils of the spring a predetermined distance apart and still provide a certain amount of resiliency.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a booster separating block comprised of two U shaped metal elements with a rubber cushioning element mounted within the U shaped element and an adjustable means mounted between the two U shaped elements to permit adjusting the booster block to retain the spring coils a predetermined distance apart and still provide a certain amount of resiliency.

Other objects of this invention may be apparent by reference to the accompaning detailed description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a coil spring with a booster inserted,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the booster element,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the coil spring with a booster showing a further embodiment,

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the booster element of FIG. 4 shown partially in cross section,

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a further embodiment, and

FIG. 7 is a still further embodiment of the booster element.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 it is apparent that with a coil spring 10 such as that utilized in the front supporting end of an automobile, the coil spring 10 when installed is preformed to retain a certain load and provide a certain spacing between coils to insure good riding characteristics for the automobile. The coil spring 10 Will, under continued loading and use due to the fatigue of the metal, lose some of its original set, the tendency being to reduce the length of the coil and the spacing between coils and as this spacing is reduced from its original set, the riding quality is also affected. To temporarily restore spring 10 to its original form any of the coils may be mechanically forced to increase the separation and a booster 11 or a pair of boosters may be inserted to retain the increased separation. The number of boosters to be inserted depends upon the amount of deformation existing in the spring at the time of installing the booster inserts. This invention contemplates a particular design of booster insert and is primarily concerned with an adjustable booster such as that illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in which a pair of metal U shaped elements 14 are provided with a generally U shape. Each element is provided with a rubber gripping element 15. Elements 15 may be inserted to merely be retained by friction or they may be cemented into this position for a permanent mounting. Element 15 may be cut or molded with a U shaped center 16. It is apparent that the peripheral curvature of the coil Will seat withing the U shape providing a good tight gripping relationship between the booster element and the coils of the spring 10. The elements 14 are positioned as illustrated in FIG. 3 with an adjustable member 17 threadably secured between them. Element 17 is a stud having a nut shaped center 18 and the extended portion either side of 18 is provided with a left hand thread on the portion 19 and a right hand thread on the portion 20 and of course portion 19 is threadably secured in an aperture 21 on one element 14 while portion 20 is threadably secured in an aperture 22 of the other element 14. Thus when the nut portion 18 is turned While the booster elements are in position about the coils of a spring 10, turning the nut portion 18 clockwise will bring the portions 14 toward each other reducing the position or spacing of the coils of the spring 10 while turning the nut portion 13 counter-clockwise will force the portions 14 further apart increasing the spacing between the coils of the spring 10. With this adjustable booster when mounted with its minimum spacing, it is possible to adjust the booster to provide the desired degree of increased spacing for the coils of a spring 10.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 there is illustrated a booster insert 11A which is constructed entirely of metal and is also comprised of a pair of U shaped elements 14A and 14B with a stud element 17A mounted between the elements 14A and 14B. The stud element 17A is comprised of a center nut section 18A with a left handed thread on the portion 19A and a right handed thread on the portion 20A to permit adjusting elements 14A and 14B in the same fashion as described in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, elements 14A and 14B are formed with the gripping surface having an angular formation to match the angle of the spring and the gripping portion is coated with rubber either painted or sprayed to provide a good frictional gripping. The upper gripping portion of 14A and the lower gripping portion of 14B may be formed in a half round curvature to match the curvature of the coil of the spring.

Referring to FIG. 6 there is illustrated a further embodiment of this invention which is comprised of a pair of U shaped elements 14C and 14D that are similar to elements 14 of FIG. 3 except that the outer surface of the U shaped element is provided with two angular cam faces 24 and 25 meeting at the apex or center of the web 26 of the U shaped element. To retain the two elements 140 and 14D in a separated position gripping the coils of a spring 10, there is provided two wedge shaped elements 27 and 28 formed to mate with the cam faces 24 and 25. The wedges 27 and 28 are provided with a central aperture 29 and a bolt 30 is mounted through the apertures 29 to retain the wedges 27 and 28 in the position as illustrated in FIG. 6. In use elements 14C and 14D may be readily mounted in the position as illustrated with little eifort as there is generally enough clearance between the coils to position these members. The wedges 27 and 28 are then positioned as illustrated in FIG. 6 and the bolt 30 is then passed through the apertures 29 and by tightening the nut 31 on bolt 30 the wedges 27 and 28 are pulled toward each other and due to the cam faces 24 and 25 the tighter the bolt and nut are adjusted the greater the separation of elements 140 and 14D until the desired spacing is obtained and the booster will then provide the exact spacing required. Although the elements 14C and 14D are shown with rubber inserts 15 in this embodiment they may also be formed with a sprayed coating as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 7 there is illustrated a still further embodiment of this invention in which a pair of clamps 30 and 31 are utilized to provide a booster for a spring 10. The clamps must be a circular loop 32 with both ends 33 and 34 of the loop extending at a tangent to the circle and the ends 33 and 34 are provided with apertures to permit mounting a pair of spacing bolts 35 and 36. The spacing bolts 35 and 36 are similar to the stud element 17 of FIG. 3 provided with a nut shaped center 18 and right and left hand threaded projections 19 and 20 which are threadably mounted in the apertures of the ends 33 and 34 so that by turning the nut portion 18, the opposed ends 33 or the opposed ends 34 may be separated to the degree desired to obtain a definite spacing between the coils of the spring 10. In this embodiment it is also plausible to insert a predetermined spacer bolt that is not adjustable at one end of the booster and provide the spacer adjustable element 17 at the other end thus providing the adjustment from one end only.

Various changes may be made to the formation of the booster block, that is, although the block 14 has been shown as U shaped, it may be a perfectly flat block with a U shaped rubber block mounted thereto without departing from the spirit of this invention. Likewise although the blocks 14 and 14A are generally square, they may be rectangular to provide a wedge of greater length and although the inserts have been described as a rubber gripping block, other materials may be utilized to provide the proper gripping action or other materials may be used to coat the block without departing from the spirit of this invention and although the blocks 14 have been described with an insert or coated portion they may be formed with a half round and a rough surface to provide a metal to metal contact having a good gripping action Without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an automobile coil spring mounted on a vertical axis between the axle and the frame of the automobile, of a separating insert to increase the lift of said spring, said insert interposed between adjacent convolutions of the spring, said insert being of a non-compressible material and comprised of a pair of spaced coil gripping elements, an adjustable element provided with threads at either end, said element mounted at either end into each coil gripping element to retain said element in a vertical position and retain said coil gripping elements in opposed relation abutting the opposed convolutions of said coil spring, said element formed with a left handed thread on one half and a right handed thread on the other half and adjustable to move said coil gripping elements firom a minimum spacing to a maximum spacing and vice versa.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which each coil gripping element is retained in a slightly angular position to match the pitch of said coil spring and said adjustable screw is aligned with the vertical axis of said coil spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,770 Ives Jan. 8, 1907 1,316,251 MacWilliam Sept. 16, 1919 1,755,088 Vickrey Apr. 15, 1930 2,230,340 Shrefiier Feb. 4, 1941 2,328,069 Kurt Aug. 31, 1943 2,654,569 Cooper Oct. 6, 1953 2,854,231 Shreffler Sept. 30, 1958 2,904,329 Joseph Sept. 15, 1959 3,097,841 Boyd July 16', 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,736 Great Britain of 1891 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH AN AUTOMOBILE COIL SPRING MOUNTED ON A VERTICAL AXIS BETWEEN THE AXLE AND THE FRAME OF THE AUTOMOBILE, OF A SEPARATING INSERT TO INCREASE THE LIFT OF SAID SPRING, SAID INSERT INTERPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT CONVOLUTIONS OF THE SPRING, SAID INSERT BEING OF A NON-COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND COMPRISED OF A PAIR OF SPACED COIL GRIPPING ELEMENTS, AN ADJUSTABLE ELEMENT PROVIDED WITH THREADS AT EITHER END, SAID ELEMENT MOUNTED AT EITHER END INTO EACH COIL GRIPPING ELEMENT TO RETAIN SAID ELEMENT IN A VERTICAL POSITION AND RETAIN SAID COIL GRIPPING ELEMENTS IN OPPOSED RELATION ABUTTING THE OPPOSED CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID COIL SPRING, SAID ELEMENT FORMED WITH A LEFT HANDED THREAD ON ONE HALF AND A RIGHT HANDED THREAD ON THE OTHER HALF AND ADJUSTABLE TO MOVE SAID COIL GRIPPING ELEMENTS FROM A MINIMUM SPACING TO A MAXIMUM SPACING AND VICE VERSA. 